No, not that pit. The one in alternative-future Bedfordshire, 2150 A.D.
Sergei peered up over the edge of the construction material disposal pit. There was a work shed directly ahead, and stacks of broken planks to either side, high enough to obscure line of sight. “It’s clear,” he said over his shoulder, and hefted himself up over the edge. “Come on!” He crept over to the shed and peeked out.
The access shaft was directly ahead, across a muddy field littered with large chunks of rock. The shaft was ringed by metal sheeting mounted on wooden pylons driven deep into the mud. There was a single deeply inset bronze metal door; an open stairwell was beside it with a thin metal railing.
There was a faint ping. A light above the bronze door lit up, the door swung to the side, and a Dalek hovered out over the metal sheeting, followed by two robomen. They flanked the stairs as a stream of exhausted workers in tattered clothes trudged out and formed a line.
“Pizdets!” swore Sergei softly. No way they could get past that lot unnoticed. Fortunately, that might not be necessary. Ben and Craddock came up behind him.
Both were wearing silver metal robomen helmets!
In a fabulous stroke of luck, they’d found two robomen corpses under a pile of loose rocks in the tunnel. Both had been shot, and their helmet location beacon smashed. Probably killed by the black marketeers. One of the helmets had been caved in at the back, but if not examined too closely, no one would notice.
The work team out there was definitely too close.
He felt a small hand on his shoulder. “Wendy!” blurted Cas.
Sergei looked back at her with alarm. “Ssh! They will hear.”
Cas flung out an arm and pointed. “That’s my sister,” she hissed, pointing at a petite woman in a torn blue dress at the end of the line of slave workers. “She’s alive!”
Well, thought Sergei, that complicates things.
Sergei straightened up behind the shed and pulled Cas back with him.
He considered a moment. As much as he wanted to deliver destruction to the Fascist tin pots, he knew the team needed Cas more. The revelation that Cas' sister was alive would break her focus. Family bonds were strong, as Sergei knew. “I will save her,” he whispered to Cas. “You go ahead. Complete the mission. You only need one helmet.” He snapped his fingers at Ben. “Helmet please.”
No comments:
Post a Comment